A new exhibition made its North American debut at the Brooklyn Museum.
It is titled “Sculpting the Senses” from Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen, who is known for meeting cutting-edge technology and common fashion technique.
“When you think, for example, of 3D printing but then you also think about the seamstresses that are using traditional needle and thread to make couture dresses. So, Iris is really finding that intersection,” said Matthew Yokobosky, the museum’s senior curator of fashion & material culture.
Yokobosky said, walking through the exhibit, you find yourself traveling from the ocean to the universe.
“I often say the exhibition begins in the microscopic, but we end in the telescopic,” said Yokobosky.
Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Anne Hathaway are among the celebrities who have donned some of the dresses.
Signature looks included the so-called “cathedral dress,” the “snake dress,” and the original “bubble dress,” which was featured at the Met Gala.
“[Van Herpen] wanted to make a dress that illustrated the air that we have inside of our bodies,” said Yokobosky. “We often think of ourselves as a solid, you know, skin and bones; but there’s actually a lot of air inside of us.”
The exhibition incorporates more than 140 pieces across 15,000 square feet.
“It has natural history in it, it has science in it, but it also has beautiful fashions that, I think, your mom would like to wear,” said Yokobosky.
People can visit the exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum through Dec. 6.